With the proliferation of fiber optic networks, the use of devices that include tunable lasers is substantially increasing. For example, wave division multiplexing (WDM) and dense WDM (DWDM) systems may include multiplexer devices having a number of discrete channels, each having an associated wavelength. Transponder cards used with such systems may include tunable lasers that are set based on the wavelength of the channel to which they are connected. In typical systems, setting or tuning of the laser is inefficient and expensive, requiring complex interactions between different devices in the system, such as between the transponder cards and the multiplexer. In some implementations, external management and control systems are required to communicate with the various network devices, to allow the devices to exchange configuration and capabilities information.